LE4000- ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC WRITING

1. WEEK 3
Structure and Key terms of
a Quantitative Descriptive
Research Paper

2. By the end of this lecture, students
should be able to
• To state the general format and content of a
quantitative descriptive research report

3. What is a Research?
"Research is a process of steps used to collect
and analyze information to increase our
understanding of a topic or issue".
Creswell (2008)
It consists of three steps:
1. pose a question
2. collect data to answer the question
3. present an answer to the question.

4. What is a Research Report?
“As a university student you may be
required to write a variety of
reports for assessment purposes.”
“Here your aim is to write clearly and
concisely about your research topic so
that the reader can easily understand the
purpose and results of your research.”
Writing Centre, the
University of Adelaide
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_writing
AResearchReport.pdf

5. The Main Parts or Content of
the research report that you
have to write
 Introduction will be submitted as Draft 1 in
 wk 7
 Method will be submitted as Draft 2 in wk
 Results 10
 Discussion
 References
 Appendices(if necessary)
 Tables and/or figures (if necessary)
THE FINAL
VERSION
WILL BE
SUBMITTED
IN WEEK 12

6. Key Terms and components of
Part 1:THE INTRODUCTION
Research Area &
Research Topic
General Issue Variables
Literature Review
Statement of the
Problem
Statement of General
Purpose
Research Questions

7. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Research Area :
Fields of interest for instance, Language, Social
Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc.
Research Topic:
The major elements that you plan to investigate.
You will want to find a balance between choosing a
topic that is too broad or too narrow
General Issue:
What has been controversial or is still unsolved
Variable:
• A concept, a noun that stands for variations
within a class of objects such as chairs, gender,
colour, achievement, motivation, or running
speed
• Any characteristic or quality that varies among
the members of a particular group
• an age can be considered a variable because it
can take different values for different people or
for the same person at different times
• country can be considered a variable because a
person’s country can be assigned a value
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions
(Creswell, 1998)

8. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Variable:
• Variables can be independent and
dependent (in experimental research)
1. Independent variable is what you
manipulate;
2. Dependent variable is what may or may
not be affected by the independent
variable
e.g.
1. Amount of time watching television
(Independent)
2. Aggressiveness of behaviour (Dependent)
1 + 2 =The more time spent on watching
television may or may not cause more
aggressive children’s behaviour.’
.
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

9. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Literature Review:
• The literature review is a critical look at the
existing research that is significant to the
work that you are carrying out’…
Language Centre, Asian Institute of Technology
Related theory:
One component of reviewing the literature is to
determine what theories might be used to
explore the questions in a scholarly study. In
quantitative research, researchers often test
theories as an explanation for answers to their
questions
http://vivauniversity.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/creswel
l-chapter_3.pdf
(Theory can also be placed before the literature
review)
• read every source relevant to your research
problem
• evaluative overview of significant literature
published on a topic
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

10. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Literature Review:
• It is NOT a descriptive list of everything
available or a set of summaries
• provides background and theoretical base
for the problem
• A critical synthesis
• offer an overview of a significant literature
published on a topic
• It defines your research problem; find a gap,
ask a question, continue previous research,
explore counter claims
.
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

11. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Statement of the Problem:
• a statement on the problem that
one would like to research
• the problem can be anything that
one finds unsatisfactory or
unsettling, a difficulty of some sort,
a state of affairs that needs to be
changed
• it involves areas or conditions one
wants to improve, difficulties one
wants to eliminate
.
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

12. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Statement of General Purpose:
• Identify major intent of study
• Should contain
 Major focus of study
 Participants of study
 Location or site of inquiry
e.g The purpose of this study is to
examine the relationship between use of
internet communication among IIUM
students and their achievement in the
EPT.
Adapted from: Creswell, J.W. (2008).
Educational Research: Planning,
Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research.
Nebraska:Pearson
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

13. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Research Questions:
• questions that are posed as the focus of the
researcher’s investigation.
• include KEY TERMS that you can use to
help you research your topic.
• generally, research questions are questions
you do not know the answer to. The idea is
you are using your research to gain new
knowledge.
.
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

14. The INTRODUCTION should be
written from General to Specific
Research Questions:
Good RQs must be:
1. Feasible: can be investigated without an
undue amount time, energy and money;
2. Clear: most people would agree as to what
the key words in the question mean;
3. Significant: worth investigating because it
will contribute important knowledge about
the human condition;
4. Ethical: will not involve physical or
psychological harm or damage to human
beings, or to the natural or social
environment of which they are a part.
Background of study
• Research Area & Topic
• General issue
• Definition of Research
Variables
Literature Review
• Related Theory
• Previous research
on variable 1
• Previous research
on variable 2
Statement of the Problem
Statement of Gen Purpose
Research Questions

15. Key Terms and components of
Part 2:METHOD
Materials
• describes how the materials were
prepared for the study, explain how
measurements were made and what
calculations were performed
Respondents/
Participants
• Respondents are usually those
who participate
in research involving
questionnaires.
• Participants are usually those
who are involved in interviews
and experiments
Procedure
• Describes how the data was
obtained, and the rationale for
why specific procedures were
chosen
• Describe what was done to
answer the research question,
describe how it was done,
justifies the design, and explain
how the results were analyzed

16. Key Terms and components of
Part 3:FINDINGS or RESULTS
• Numerically describes
the outcome or answers
to the research question
FINDING
TO RQ1
• Numerically describes
the outcome or answers
to the research question
FINDING
TO RQ2

17. Key Terms and components of
Part 4:DISCUSSION
Conclusion
• It is where you sum up the main points of the report should relate to the
objectives and results of your research.
• The purpose is to tie together various issues covered in your research and draw
logical deductions based on the research findings.
Implication
• is that like consequence or outcome of your study
• should comment on the need for further research, and the nature of
the further research that would be most desirable
• It is important to discuss the implications because they will be the
basis for you to make recommendations
Recommendation
• cause of action to be taken to solve the identified problems.

18. Tasks:
• State the general parts of a quantitative
descriptive research report
• State the components of Introduction of a
quantitative descriptive research report
• Brainstorm on a possible research area. Write
a statement that shows your ‘working
research topic’

19. THE END